Ticket to Write: New books highlight sudsier side of Ohio

Steve Stephens More Content Now

Friday

Oct 13, 2017 at 10:24 AMOct 13, 2017 at 10:25 AM

Small wineries continue to proliferate across this great, thirsty country of ours.

These are boom times, too, for people who prefer sudsier fare. Two books recently published by presses at Ohio universities (where they know a little something about beer) detail some of the delights of the craft-brewing scene in the Buckeye State.

Rick Armon has just released “50 Must-Try Craft Beers of Ohio,” published by Ohio University Press.

Armon comes through on the title’s promise in the first section of his book, which lists 50 individual beers brewed across the state. The author doesn’t presume to pick the “best” beers, acknowledging that everyone will have their favorite.

“Even if it’s Bud Light, so be it,” he says.

Amen.

Instead, Armon suggests interesting beers with interesting stories, along with descriptions of each beer by the brewers themselves. Readers will learn about each beer’s awards and availability and a bit about the brewery that produces it.

Of course, you can’t have beer without breweries, and in another chapter, Armon, who previously wrote a book called “Ohio Breweries,” suggests the “10 Coolest Breweries to Visit.” (I’ve been to five of them, so I still have a lot of work to do.)

In other chapters, the author interviews some of the most-influential craft brewers in the state, offers the stories behind some of the most-interesting brewery names, and suggests beer pairings with Ohio foods.

Armon’s introduction also gives a brief history of craft brewing in Ohio, including enlightening information about how changes in state law have allowed the breweries to spring up and thrive.

Author Paul L. Gaston dives more deeply into the history of Ohio brewing in his new book, “Ohio’s Craft Beers,” published by the Kent State University Press. But the main section of the book divides the state into regions, with detailed information about several of the most-interesting breweries and taprooms in each.

Each entry includes descriptions of the beers and food available as well as “The Skinny,” a list of useful information about directions, hours, parking, kid-friendliness and other important details a visitor might need.

After the main listings, Gaston offers a “Consider Also” list, with shorter descriptions of many other breweries worth a visit in each region.

Peppered throughout the book are fun lists, such as “Ten Great Taprooms,” “Ten Not-So-Great Craft Beer Myths” and “Ten Great ‘Entry-Level’ Beers” — a good way to introduce that Bud-loving friend to craft brews.

— Steve Stephens can be reached at sstephens@dispatch.com or on Twitter @SteveStephens.